


from your lips

by TheQueenInTheNorth



Series: lou's mcu kink bingo [25]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-28
Updated: 2019-04-28
Packaged: 2020-02-09 07:53:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18633958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheQueenInTheNorth/pseuds/TheQueenInTheNorth
Summary: They say you'll die if anyone but your soulmate speaks your true name.





	from your lips

**Author's Note:**

> for the bingo square 'pet names'

Kasius, being second-born, was saddled with being called “boy”. It didn’t matter so much when his mother was still alive to call him “sweetie”, or even once she had passed and he was still young. But once he was no longer by any reasonable measure a boy, the moniker stung.

Faulnak got to be the heir, got to be the center of attention, got to be fawned over by all at court - and on top of it all, he got to be “son”.

Sometimes Kasius was tempted to call him something other than “brother”, call him by his name. But there were things one did not stoop to, and speaking the names one was trusted with was such a thing, even if one was only entrusted with the knowledge because of family ties.

Someone other than your soulmate speaking your name, your true name, was fatal, after all. If he ever got the courage to kill his brother, he would not do it that way, he had sworn as much to himself early on. It was a quick death, by all accounts, and that was more than his brother deserved, who called him “boy” as well, when he could have just called him “brother”.

He wanted to be called something else so desperately he had even considered picking himself a false name, the way low born parents did for their babes: one for every day use, to hide the true name away.

Kasius did not have a false name. Most nobles didn’t bother with them, everyone outside of family addressing them by titles anyway.

Kasius was tired of being “boy”, was tired of being “your highness”, or “sir”, or anything else.

It was, then, an oddly pleasant surprise when the soldier looked down at him and snapped,“Move it, numbnuts.”

“Pardon?”he said, even as he accepted her hand and let her help him to his feet.

“We’ve got to move,”she gave back, winding her arm around his waist to steady him.“I don’t know who thought it was a good idea to send you onto the battlefield but it is not your place.”

“Couldn’t agree more,”he said, letting her lead him towards the ships, so they could pick one for their escape.

 

“So what do I call you?”Kasius asked once she had taken care of his wounds to her satisfaction.

“I’m RM-K2573,”she said, wiping his blood off her hands as if it were something much more mundane.“2573 is fine.”

Kasius stared at her in disbelief for a moment.“I’m not addressing you by your military ID. Surely you must have a usage name?”

“Do I reek of lower class that much?”she snapped, then turned to the flight controls. He could have sworn her voice wavered slightly as she continued,“I had one. I gave it up when my parents gave me up, Your Highness.”

“I’m sorry,”Kasius said softly.

Her shoulders stiffened so he hastened to change the subject.“Please, do not call me by my title.”

She glanced at him.“What would you have me call you?”

He shrugged. No one had ever wanted his opinion on that before.“I’m not terribly opposed to “numbnuts”, to tell you the truth.”

She blushed a little, clearly regretting that that had slipped out in the heat of the moment.“I can hardly go around and call a prince that.”

“No, I supposed not.” He sighed; this was harder than anticipated.“How about we don’t call each other anything, then?”

She laughed.“Alright. I can work with that.”

* * *

She never spoke much anyway so she really did abide by his initial suggestion, even if he had made it mostly in jest.

Kasius found it far harder but she never objected, so he settled into calling her “my dear” rather quickly and very comfortably.

“Well, I need a way to get your attention,”he had joked the first time it had slipped out.

She had smiled at that and said,“You already have it, numbnuts.”

He still quite enjoyed her calling him that on occasion, what had once been a blunder now a fond nickname between them.

* * *

Sinara never said it outright but she very much enjoyed the little pet names he gave her, the “my dear” followed by “my darling”, with the occasional “sweetheart” or “dearest” sprinkled in.

The first time he called her “my love” he was inside of her, lost in the moment, stilling against her when he noticed she had tensed, ever so slightly, for a moment.

Before he could apologise or ask what was wrong she kissed him and pulled him closer, knowing the heat inside of her was not carnal pleasure alone.

He didn’t bring it up again but she could read in his eyes that - while it had certainly not been meant to slip out - he had truly meant it.

It took her five days to work up the courage to respond in kind.

They were working on plans to make the lower levels fall into step. She pushed a map she’d been adjusting with possible guard placements towards him and asked, casually as could be,“What do you think, my love? Do we need another post?”

He stared at her, dumbfounded for a few seconds, which was probably the longest anyone had ever managed to render him speechless, and then a smile spread across his face.“No, I think you’ve arranged that wonderfully. Great work as always, my love.”

* * *

They were lying side by side, just looking at one another, sweat cooling on their skin, his fingers brushing through her hair, hers idly mapping out his freckles.

“Kasius,”he said, without truly deciding to do it, having wanted to tell her for a long time, waiting for a moment that never was quite right. As he said it, he knew he’d got it backwards: there was no wrong moments with her. He smiled as he added,“My name is Kasius.”

Her mouth was slightly opened and she was blinking rapidly, her hand stilling against his neck. He could see her throat work as she swallowed hard.

“Thank you for telling me,”she finally whispered, her voice full of emotions. Then she brushed a kiss against his lips, smiling as she settled back on the pillow.“It suits you. I like the name.”

“Say it,”he said. Her eyes widened in shock but he pressed on,“Please, my love. I want to hear you say it.”

She shook her head, her fingers digging into his shoulder almost painfully.“No. I can’t.”

“Of course you can -”

“I won’t,”she said.“I don’t want to lose you, my love.”

“And you won’t,”he assured her, gently prying her fingers from his shoulder and bringing them to his mouth to kiss each fingertip.“Soulmates can speak each other’s names. You are mine, my love. I know you are, and you know it, too.”

“There is no knowing such a thing.” Her voice was shaking ever so slightly.“If you’re wrong, you’ll die.”

He pressed his lips against the inside of her wrist, feeling her heart race.“Then perhaps that is how I want to go. With my name from your lips.”

“Sinara,”she spit, so viciously he didn’t realise what she’d said for a few seconds, long enough for her to repeat herself.“Sinara. You say it. If you’re so sure you’re right, say my name.”

He hesitated. His life was easier bet than hers, immensely less valuable.“My love, what if I’m wrong?”

“Then perhaps that is how I want to go.” The defiant set of her jaw was so familiar by now, as was the love in her eyes.“With my name from your lips.”

He kissed her slowly and deeply, savouring this, in case it was the last thing he would ever do. Then he whispered,“Together?”

“I can do that,”she agreed, intertwining her fingers with his.“Together, or not at all.”

The first time they speak each other’s names they don’t quite hear them clearly, voices intermingling. But they spent the rest of the night testing how the syllables roll from their tongues, how they sound panted against the other’s skin or whispered into ears.

And then they spent the rest of their lives with an _I love you_ that they know no one else could speak, that they would never wish to hear from anyone else’s lips.

**Author's Note:**

> and that's a blackout!! i did the whole card :D


End file.
